DR800 Big single thumper

[lchris21]

The wheels needed a strip down. The plan is/was........

Remove the hub from the rear rim and put it into the wider replacement rim I've bought so I can get a bigger tyre up back. Then re-lace the front hub into the rear rim........you following me...

The rear hub had become attached to the spokes after a very long relationship, and they did not want to divorce without a fight :welder:......eventually managed to get them all in the right places. Will get some stainless replacements on order but for the time being the old rusty ones will be used during the build.

[lchris21]

Been mostly working towards getting the front wheel sorted this week. Plan is to try and get it the bike sitting on its wheels and tyres before the end of the year.......

First job up was to shorten the front wheel spindle. I'd forgotten it was too long after the end of the last season. So a quick zip with a parting tool in the lathe and a bit of threading and all is good.

[lchris21]

As I was truing the wheel up ready to start messing about with it, I realised I had forgotten to machine the hub to even up the bearing housings as one is longer than the other. Want to get it looking symmetrical and it should help with the brake disc adaptors I need to make. Time to strip the wheel down again and build it back up. This time with some spare spokes I found at the bottom of a pile of misc bike parts I've been hoarding for years.....the rusty spokes were making the place look untidy anyhow

I'm getting quite quick at re-spoking wheels these days !!

She should have a decent amount of stopping power up front compared to the old set up

[lchris21]

fits quite nicely......

[lchris21]

Need to get the brake rotor and caliper brackets sorted. So out with the scissors and cardboard............

Don't think the cardboard adapter plate will be able to handle the forces of the Nissin 3 Pots, so I made a stronger one out of 1mm aluminium.....................should be fine 

[1fasgsxr]

Nice!

[lchris21]

Have been managing to get the odd hour or two on the bike over the Xmas holidays. I've been accumulating a few swing arms in my quest to convert this thing to twin shock and get away from that drag bike look using the original setup. After trying a few different ones, I've settled on an old CB350. So first things first i need to get a rough idea if a) its going to fit and b) i can get the wheel centralised and lining up at the crucial points.

[lchris21]

Next job is to shorten the main swing arm spindle. It was tough as old boots......several tungsten tips later its all good

Then onto making the swing arm a bit narrower to fit in the frame.

Next up is to temporarily refit the steel bushes after reaming, back into the swing arm tube. I'll be changing these to some sort of bronze on final assembly.

[lchris21]

Time to see if it all fits and lines up........

I think the proportions are much better with the shorter arm, and the round section material more in keeping with the rest of the frame.

[lchris21]

Time to throw some rubber on the rims and see what its starting to look like.